A new book has surfaced on Tim Keller. It is said to be a healthy criticism. I have yet to read it.
I shall not tarry long in submitting this book review.
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Strike 2: TOEFL Test Center
Today marks the second time I am late for administering TOEFL test. I cannot recall the reason for the first time I was late. I think it was because I overslept. I remember people waiting downstairs. So it had to been a Saturday 9am test.
This time, all tests have been scheduled to 10am, whether it be Fridays or Saturdays. However, I mistook today's test schedule for tomorrow. I was so sure of it for the last two weeks that I didn't bother to double check.
When I got an FB message from Tomoko at around 9am. I stormed out. Taking a taxi (asking one guy before he could do his routine yell "Taxi": How much you charge for going to 26th Street) as I arrived at the station off Bx9, I arrived at NYGC at around 9:40am, paid $60 ($45 + $5 toll + tip) to the nice driver who rushed the service for my benefit. I remember feeling nauseated during the ride due to the anxiety. I tried calming down.
On location, I started the test at around 10:45am. Everything was smooth, except 4-5 machines made me redo microphone calibration. I think it was due to slow network causing sound files not able to upload well. I have removed, temporarily, the restriction on the network's bandwidth.
TOEFL preparation takes 1 hour. Noted.
Thanks be to God that the ride was safe and that on both occasions, the TOEFL candidates didn't make any beef with me.
Posted in Faults
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Street Preaching Today
I am more often in support of such action, street preaching that is. Contrary to many Western Reformer of today's disagreement.
There are those who sought no personal connection with the real God saying: Where in the Bible that says we must go out to preach on the streets? There are those who felt it is wrong of God to let his disciples suffer persecution from non-believers saying: Street preaching is outdated. These are Christians who live in denial. I call them Christians, because they, I believe, are still hopeful in God's grace as they are constantly being confronted with this issue.
The video above (a preacher got his equipment confiscated by police in Springfield, Missouri) reminded me of an incident I saw in a subway station not long ago. A black preacher was shouting bunch of biblical condemnation in his preaching that irritated a chubby Muslim lady, who then raised her hand wishing to ask him a question. The preacher immediately responded "I don't have time for question" in his perhaps Jamaican accent. I felt guilty for not asking her about her question.
Obviously, that black preacher was wrong to not connect with his crowd. Many preachers on the streets, subway stations are like that. Why is that? Afraid of confrontation? Afraid of any relationship with the crowd? Why preach then? Or rather, why call it "preaching", since the real definition of preaching is not doing something an electronic speaker can also do.
To preach biblically, is to connect with the audience. None of these preachers have direct audience. This is contrary to the Bible. The reasons the Romans took Paul, or the Pharisees took Jesus, were not because of their speakers or something crazy they do to make everyone uncomfortable, but because there were audience, because they were attracting crowds. And as for John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, etc. they were persecuted by the ones they preached to DIRECTLY. This is not the case today. The preachers today preach in ignorance of the presence of either their persecutors or the bystanders.
What's my conclusion? I think they watch too many movies about preachers and they were just trying to act like them.
Posted in Faults, Theologization
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House Centipedes
Finally, I've identified them and put them on record for good. It would seems that these house centipedes are more good than harm. They are fast, walking on walls, ceilings and floors. They don't eat clothes but cloth moths instead and other harmful pests. They bite but rarely, not poisonous enough for humans.
Posted in Biology, Vocabularies
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Fieldstone, Riverdale
Jogging today. I decided to use another route, instead of Van Cortlandt Park. I headed towards West. Attempting to see Hudson River.
Instead of reaching the river, I went through a private community called Fieldstone. It's a community of 257 houses which are so well designed that the area is a landmark. I felt like entering a new world. One of the wealthiest place in New York City. All houses were valued at around 2.2 Millions on average in 2002. The whole area looked so private I am still wondering if I am allowed in. The streets looked public enough.
Behind the neighborhood, is the Riverdale Park. That is definitely public, as it is designated a city park. I couldn't find a trail map for the small park, except that I walked in one of the short trail and logged my path into RunKeeper. In fact, my whole morning trip was logged.
It would be entertainment to my eyes, if I were to make my morning jogs through this neighborhood.
Posted in News
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Match Giftings
I find this notion of donation matching game a bit disgusting. So I looked into the nature of it. It appears that this idea is nothing more than to inspire other donors.
If churches & ministries apply this to their financial income as closely to the definition of offering, they are not witnessing God's power, but that of men.
Posted in Theologization
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2nd Samuel 6:8
On hearing David Kim's sermon yesterday, I awoke upon hearing his interpretation of 2nd Samuel 6:8 where after Uzzah was struck dead by God, David was "angry at God".
The scripture certainly has not that saying. But I had to be sure, so I found similar interpretation from John Gill & John Darby. However, Keil & Delitzsch did not view it such. The word for angry/displeased חרה was used. K&D says: The burning of David's anger was not directed against God...
I'd say it comes down to the fact that all the Bible versions I've looked up only refer to God as His action being the cause of David's anger. Not God Himself.
If I am allowed to extrapolate, I think it is sinful to jump to conclusion without a cause that David was angry at God. Kim tried to justified his biblical stand point by referring to the following verse to indicate that David has a change of heart even though he was angry at God because he then became afraid of God.
Sinful if such conclusion is to justify Uzzah's action. That it is natural to be angry at God if the violation is not of evil intent, but merely a failure to read the "fine prints" in the Law. Sinful if the conclusion is not the only option. That it is also possible that David was angry but a frustration of his own failure.
Hence, the aftermath can be discerned. I highly doubt, those who think it right or half-right to be angry at God upon such calamity upon the "innocent" will at all turn their anger at God into fear of God. It is impossible, for they have already received their own justification, there is no need for a change of heart. If they were to agree with David's change of heart, it would be as if saying "Alright God, since you are God, have it your way! My disagreement is useless!". Then they would have to claim God fails humanity, God fails rationality, just as the famous Chinese evangelist Yuan ZhiMing falsely argued: Religion is emotional, it has no place for rationality.
Posted in Theologization
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Vocab: visceral
Obtained through intuition rather than from reasoning or observation. - Wordweb
From facebook:
The Martin-Zimmerman verdict was visceral for many Americans of African descent. http://buff.ly/12QUU7e
Posted in Vocabularies
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The Malala Fad
At least someone else with Malala's mindset is doing her work without much media interruption.